Colorado Republicans in Congress vote for disaster assistance for their own state despite fighting to deny aid after Hurricane Sandy

Congress has approved emergency assistance for victims of the flooding in Colorado. (Dawn Madura/AP)

WASHINGTON — Members of Congress who fought to deny federal aid to New York and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy have quietly voted for emergency assistance to help disaster victims in their own state.

With Washington consumed by the government shutdown, hardly anyone noticed when the House and Senate this week passed legislation lifting a $100 billion cap on disaster relief so money could flow to victims of last month's flooding in Colorado.

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Four Colorado Republicans — Reps. Cory Gardner, Mike Coffman, Doug Lamborn and Scott Tipton — opposed the Sandy aid for the Northeast but crowed after they secured federal disaster funding for their constituents.

New York lawmakers who had to wage a bitter fight for the Sandy money found the flip-flop by their Colorado counterparts too tough to take.

The same Colorado Republicans who opposed aid for New York after Hurricane Sandy, but approved aid for their own state. (David Handschuh/New York Daily News)

"When Hurricane Sandy struck New York, Reps. Gardner, Coffman, Lamborn and Tipton opposed providing federal assistance to help us rebuild. But their opposition to federal emergency aid dissolved when their state was struck by historic floods."

He added, "It's the height of hypocrisy for them to have so quickly and conveniently changed their position. I only wish the best for the people of Colorado as they repair their lives after such devastation, but I hope New Yorkers make clear these members are persona non grata in our town."

Rep. Mike Coffman, who was re-elected on the same day as President Obama, was among the Republicans who opposed Sandy aid in Congress. (AP)

A spokesman for Gardner defended the congressman's vote on the funds in a statement to the Daily News by insisting he "voted for emergency disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy, but when he offered an amendment to add Colorado fire victims to the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, it was rejected."

"The rejection of the amendment essentially said that Colorado fire victims weren't as important as hurricane victims and that is why he voted against the additional funding," the spokesman said. "If these congressmen wish to complain, perhaps they should take the time to understand our concern that Colorado victims were ignored."

Aides to Coffman, Lamborn and Tipton did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment.

Rep. Doug Lamborn, who has been in office since 2007, was among the Republicans who celebrated securing federal disaster relief for their constituents. (HANDOUT/MCT)

Colorado is in line to receive only a fraction of the $60 billion provided to states and communities devastated by Sandy, reflecting the scale of damage caused by the superstorm.

And, unlike the Sandy bill, the legislation helping Colorado contained no aid for states outside the immediate disaster zone, denying conservatives the chance to claim the bill was larded with pork.

But New York lawmakers said it was still wrong for the Colorado congressmen to vote for money for their constituents when they denied funds to Sandy victims.

Rep. Scott Tipton (r., talking with Matthew Pederson) was one of the GOP Congressman New York lawmarkers criticized for 'hypocrisy.' (Gretel Daugherty/AP)

Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.), who called out fellow Republicans when they opposed the Sandy aid, said the Colorado lawmakers showed "real hypocrisy" in voting for the flood relief this week.

"You never know when and where these disasters are gonna hit," King said. "They should just thank God, we didn't use the same tactics against them that they used against us."

King said one of the Colorado Republicans, who he declined to name, asked him before the vote if he was still angry over the Sandy vote.